De Lille's new GOOD party to focus on racism, social and spatial justice

Patricia de Lille unveiled the interim national leadership committee of her new political party GOOD yesterday. Photo: Armand Hough / African News Agency (ANA)

Cape Town – Racism, social and spatial justice will be among the priorities to be tackled by Patricia de Lille’s newly formed political party GOOD.

She announced the party’s interim nation leadership committee (NLC) at a press conference yesterday.

The NLC consists of 36 members with the power to co-opt additional members if and when required, representative of all nine provinces with at least three delegates from each province.

A female lead team included De Lille as the leader, Nthabiseng Lephoko as national chairperson and Masego Kwenamera as the party’s national treasurer.

Brett Herron was announced as the secretary-general, while Shaun August is the national organiser. The party policy officer is Mark Rountree.

“These leaders are all GOOD South Africans who are eager to do GOOD for all our people.

“They have the right skills and experience to make sure GOOD becomes a dominant force in this year’s election,” said De Lille.

With a focus on cities and town for change, De Lille said: “The world and South Africa have changed significantly since 1994.

"Doing government as usual, through a system that apartheid put in place and governing parties have replicated, leaves our society lagging behind the pace of our changing world. That is why GOOD is proposing to turn government on its head. No family will be unaffected by urbanisation.

Other issues the party will address include the price of data, the government’s huge wage bill and crime, among others.

“GOOD recognises that our country’s future lies in the development of its towns and cities.”

De Lille said she will be going from province to province next month to grow membership.

“We are going to compete with established parties but South Africans are no longer looking at the size of a party, quantity does not translate into equal quality.

"For the first time in the history of our democracy almost 37% of the voters in our country are disillusioned with the existing government.”